The original trip hop producer, Axelrod's blend of
sweeping string arrangements and thick drum tracks are a sampler's delight. He started out
as a producer for Capitol records, where he presided over some of the most commercially
lucrative periods of the careers of Cannonball Adderley and Lou Rawls. While working
a side gig producing the Christian rock band Electric Prunes, Axelrod began developing his
own unique style, frequently utilizing the crack musical skills of drummer Earl Palmer and
pianist Don Randi. He formally branched out on his own in 1968 and emerged with the
William Blake inspired Songs of Innocence. Very trippy, druggy and definitely ahead
of its time. He moved on to tackle environmental issues on Earth Rot before
following Cannonball over to Fantasy in the early 1970s. In the 1980s he released the
classical piece Requiem, which he considers his finest accomplishment. DJ Shadow
asked him to remix "Rabbit in the Headlights" from his Unkle project in the late
1990s and he's working furiously on his first collection of funky material in nearly 30
years.

1968
to 1970: An Axelrod Anthology(Stateside, 1999)
Finally, a compilation of his best known work as an artist and producer for the Capitol
stable. Some of these songs have been available only to deep-pocketed collectors for
years. Expect to hear plenty of familiar samples. Nice liner notes too.